Netflix Streaming Coming To PS3 In November

Sony is barging in on Microsoft’s territory, having hammered out a deal to stream Netflix movies over the console just like the Xbox 360 for no additional charge beyond the Netflix membership.

This should help the console’s newfound momentum. Following a price cut to $300, it leaped almost to the top of the sales charts in September, surpassing the 360 and Wii, trailing only Nintendo’s Highlander-esque DSi.

Although Netflix streaming is no longer the awe-inspiring technological marvel it once was, now that the Xbox 360 has been doing it for a year and Blu-ray players and certain TVs are capable of the feat, but the PS3 now gives you that much more bang for the buck.

i have a 360 and a ps3, with the 360 you have to have the gold membership which I’m hoping to be able to drop. The way it reads I can use the ps3 for no charge beyond the netflix subscription. netflix streaming is the only reason i have a gold membership on xbox live.

@neost: I have Netflix running on my 360, but there’s something about leaving the console on for hours at a time while watching video that makes me feel really uncomfortable, so I rarely use it. I’d much rather watch Netflix on my PS3, as I wouldn’t be afraid that the thing would RRoD next time I turn it on. :P

@dragonfire81: I checked out Netflix streaming to the Wii via Playon, and it was horrible. The resulting video was an ultra-compressed, low-res mess. I’ve seen better quality videos on Youtube. That said, I think it was down to Mediamall’s implementation. PlayOn uses the Wii’s Opera browser to display the video, which I think has a rudimentary version of Flash running on it.

There’s no reason to assume that Netflix will follow suit though, as PlayOn only uses the Wii’s internet browser because there’s no way to set the system up as a streaming device, and that’s the only work-around that Mediamall had available to them to get Netflix running on the Wii. I would imagine that if Netflix comes to the Wii, Nintendo will release a dedicated Netflix channel that will allow Netflix to stream properly. As for how well it’ll work, I don’t see why it shouldn’t work well enough. But I’m not a techy, so what do I know?

Yes. I almost got one as soon as there was the price cut. But my family spends a lot more time watching streaming movies on Netflix than we do gaming. We were going to buy a Blu-ray with WiFi. So glad I didn’t get that discounted Insignia over the weekend!

My biggest issue with XBL’s Netflix UI is that I cannot browse all of the content solely from my 360. I can access my instant queue of course, but that means I still have to use a computer and access the internet in order to browse all of the content and add them to my queue.

It isn’t the end of the universe or anything, but if the PS3 manages to 1up XBL with the UI in such a way that easily allows me to browse all of the available watch instantly content then I will start using my PS3 for Netflix instead. Of course, the PS3 already has a built in browser which I assume will allow me to browse the Netflix website just like I do on any other computer so that might not be even necessary. We’ll see.

@Naame: You can browse a lot of the Instant media from your 360, at least if you have the most recent updates. The UI for Netflix was changed completely, and you can add stuff to your queue from there.

@squinko: I have the latest update. Basically, it gives you a bunch of categories where about 100 selections are available for you to browse through which is nothing even close the amount of available watch instantly content that Netflix provides.

What I want is to be able browse and select every single bit of watch instantly content directly from my 360 without the use of any other piece of hardware. I also what to be able to easily run searches in order to find certain content in as many different ways as they can let me.

Don’t get me wrong. I am not attacking MS or Netflix. I am simply expressing what features would be valuable to me. These are the kinds of features which would keep me paying money for XBL and I know MS is always searching for more ways to both retain old members and attract new ones. When it comes to Netflix, these feature requests would be appreciated by most I would think.

@Al Swearengen: There is no PS3 fee, that’s the charm. Its free. The disc is free, and no extra charge from Netflix or Sony.

This has to be a real gut punch to Microsoft. The NetFlix exclusive was a big selling point for the expensive XBox Live Gold service. Now its just the ability to listen to foul mouthed 14 year olds. If you can here them over the 360’s fan of course. . .

@highmodulus: Well, the additional charm in it is that I don’t have to worry that watching a couple of movies on my 360 might overheat it and cause it to come down with a nasty case of RRoD. I don’t watch much Netflix on my 360 because of that uncertainty. Maybe I’m being a bit paranoid, but then again, I’d rather be safe than sorry. Whatever the case may be, I would totally use it on my PS3. That I wouldn’t have to pay for it is icing on the cake. :D

My PS3 has always been substantially louder than my 360. In fact I can very rarely even hear my 360 running, whereas my PS3 sounds like it’s getting ready to launch itself into space. And yet I routinely encounter folks online who go on and on about how much louder the 360 runs than the PS3 does. It’s strange. It’s like I live in Bizarro world or something. :P

@Cyberxion101: I feel like my PS3 is much quieter than my roommate’s 360. He has an older model though, I don’t know if that makes a difference. Still, it doesn’t stop me from wanting my own. Stupid Valve… (I really do like Valve, I just wish they would embrace the PS3. Sorry, I got off topic).

@Sanspants: I have a newer 360, so that may just be the case. I totally didn’t consider that as a factor. :)

Dude, I don’t see why Valve is so reluctant to put their games on the PS3. If their concern was that the user-base was too small to bother taking the time to learn how to properly develop for the PS3, then that concern should be fading now that the console is selling well. The price-drop has really turned things around for Sony. I’m thinking that we’ll see Valve reconsider its position in the next year or so. At least I hope so. As a fan of the hobby, I think that folks ought to be able to get the goodies regardless of what console they buy, with the obvious exception of first-party titles of course. ïŠ

@OldJimBob: I have no idea what you’re talking about. I watch tons of movies on my PS3 via the PS3 Media Server and play COD4 from time to time and when that fan spins up, it’s pretty hard to miss it. Perhaps you have one of those newfangled cheap looking ones, but my fingerprint magnet 80GB fatty with BC is louder than the 120mm case fan in the server it sits on top of.

@logicalnoise: That happens when you’re trying to reply to a comment from one thread, but then also try to reply to a comment in another. It puts the comment into the second thread for some reason. I always wondered what was going on until I did it myself.

@cheeser83: Came to say this, I have both systems, I don’t plan on renewing my Gold membership, unless something happens in the next 9 months before it expires.

I think being charged is ridiculous from Microsoft for online play, etc, but dealt with it for Netflix. I figured 9 months gives me plenty of time to get used to PS3s interface if is that much different.

I don’t play online too much, so even if XBox’s multiplayer is better, it wouldn’t be enough to get me to spend extra money.

@OldJimBob: What is this fan thing everyone keeps talking about? My 360 is pretty quiet until it’s doing something serious. I don’t see the big deal with console noises in general. As long as it doesn’t sound like the Dreamcast, I’m fine.

The crummy thing no one (or the linked article) has mentioned: until a software update arrives next year, Netflix streaming on the PS3 will require a special disc that must be inserted each time one wants to switch from gaming to watching a movie.

I like the idea of Netflix streaming on the PS3, but if I have to get up and walk all the way across the room and change discs…

@Cyberxion101: I never said that it wasn’t deserving of scrutiny. It should be thoroughly reviewed once it is available. And where did I complain about anything? I am ecstatic that the PS3 will FINALLY get Netflix streaming. Its a great feature to finally have on my BC PS3.

What annoys me is when someone is lazy and doesn’t want to simply get off the couch to put in a disc that they would have already had to do if they wanted to play another game or movie that wasnt downloaded.

I didn’t say that you complained about anything. I was just making a silly analogy in an attempt to illustrate that free shit isn’t above criticism. For example, I could waive the fee I generally charge to kick ignorant people in the nuts, but that wouldn’t make it any more desirable to you, would it? You’d complain about the fact that I’m trying to kick you in the coin purse, even though that shot to the nuts would be totally free of charge. Granted Netflix on the PS3 is the far from being a kick in the balls, but it’s no less immune to being complained about if someone feels like doing so. That’s the point that I was trying to make.

As for saying that Netflix on PS3 wasn’t deserving of scrutiny, you didn’t say it in so many words, no. You implied it when you said “It’s free, so quit complaining.” Like they would that kick in the nuts, folks ought to feel free to register their concerns with Netflix on the PS3 regardless of the price involved. Now if you want to take him to task for the nature of his complaint, that’s a whole other issue. I actually agree with you about how silly a complaint it is, truth be told. However I wouldn’t begrudge him his right to complain in the first place, even if I felt inclined to give him crap for the complaint itself. I just don’t like it when folks perpetuate the notion that one’s right to complain is proportionate to how much they’ve paid for something, that’s all. ïŠ

Now we need it for Wii. :)
I wonder if there is any chance that the service will become free through xbox… I really have no desire to buy a third console, and Netflix is the only reason we have ever purchased the xbox service.

We actually found that rather than pay for streaming service through xbox, we can just stream to a laptop and plug the laptop into the tv. Free. (well purchased the cables, but yeah. )

@bibblenorn: I just don’t think the Wii has the capability to do this. I’ve tried YouTube streaming and also just streaming from videos played on my PC, and it was horrible. The video quality was terrible and it was jittery over just the wireless connection from peer to peer. Imagine streaming over the web with it.

I love my Wii, and we have a lot of fun with the games. But I think that’s all you’re going to get out of that console.

@DoubleEcho: The Youtube issue is down to the Opera browser’s shitty Flash support. Depending on what you used to stream video to your Wii, the jittery, low-quality video could be attributed to the program you used to stream from your PC, rather than any fault of the Wii.

I would imagine that if Netflix hits the Wii, it’ll get its own dedicated channel, meaning that most of the issues that come with the make-shift homebrew streaming solutions should be a non issue. The only real potential obstacle that I can see might be the Wii’s outdated Wi-Fi. However I would imagine that much like streaming Netflix on a PC with a shitty internet connection, the video would just scale its quality down to account for the slower speed. It wouldn’t be ideal, but it would work. And that’s worse-case.

Well, it would make sense for me to buy a PS3 now. I was considering getting a Roku box, but then I wanted to get a Blu-Ray player too that did Netflix streaming. Now I could get a device that does both of those and plays awesome RPGs (I’m looking at you, Star Ocean – The Last Hope!)

One issue I have with the new PS3 that just came out that’s cheaper is that it does not support PS2 format discs like the original PS3 does. Hubby loves the FF series and plays FFXII on our original PS3 but when I pop a PS2 title into the new PS3 we bought to game together, it says it’s unsupported.

Which, when you walk into a Best Buy, their display for the new PS3 says that it “does everything”. It doesn’t claim to be backwards compatible, but if you own the first PS3 and replace it or buy a second for yourself or as a gift, I would have found that misleading.

@NewsMuncher: No. I take that back. It is false advertising.
Here’s what the product description on Best Buy’s site says about the 120GB PS3:
“Fit the intensity and excitement of gaming into your life even more easily. This lighter, slimmer edition of the PlayStation 3 system packs all the power and features of the PlayStation 3 into a compact design that fits conveniently into any room. Enjoy intense, high-definition games, movies and other entertainment in the comfort of your home, all courtesy of a console that’s small in size but a giant in sophistication.” [www.bestbuy.com]

Notice “all the FEATURES” of the Playstation 3″. One of our PS3s plays FFXII (PS2 title) and the newer one doesn’t.

It doesn’t specifically promise that it supports the PS2 format. But neither does it let you know that it doesn’t.

I’m still a fan of the Playstation. I like the quality and non-proprietary-ness of Sony’s stuff in general over Mac or Microsoft. Ever since my first Walkman, which I dropped and abused and never really stopped working. With the PS3 you can use the same Bluetooth earpiece you bought for your Bluetooth phone to chat through the network. You have to buy a Microsoft adapter or headset to do so for the XBox 360.

I already have a PS3, but it probably be the nail in LIVE’s coffin for me. I just don’t think its worth $50 a year. But then I only play online with a few of my friends. I’m not really much of an online player.

I wonder if Sony plans on adding this to any of their other, “older” model Blu-Ray players? I know one of their newer models is going to have it. I’ve got a BDP-S550 and would love it if they came out with a software update to add Netflix.

After living with Netflix via a TiVoHD for several months now, I find myself using it less and less because so little of the content is HD, and none of it is in surround sound. So for movies, it’s not very useful, and for TV shows, it’s just a more expensive alternative to Hulu.

The Netflix streaming interface still sucks (and sounds like it will suck even harder on the PS3, requiring you to actually /insert a disk!/ when you want to use it.

Wake me up when you can actually sort the HD content by type, year, etc., and when you don’t have to use a frickin computer to add stuff to your queue before you can go onto your streaming device [and insert a disk and then] pick what you want to watch.

@merkidemis: Sure, PlayOn was great, but this just took away quite a bit of its appeal. And when Hulu goes subscription-based next year, PlayOn won’t be worth the forty bucks that Mediamall wants for it. As awesome as it was, its future was too uncertain to justify spending forty bucks for it. Now it seems that my hesitation was justified.

Hulu still seems to be the only source for certain shows, and I still need a way to get those shows onto my TV. So even if I have to pay a (small) fee for Hulu, I’ve already paid for PlayOn, so I’ll probably keep it. Particularly if a subscription will pay for HD content, which is Hulu’s biggest failing.

But it would be great to access Hulu in HD right on the PS3. I would pay for that.

@rdclark: Have you noticed lately playon has been having problems with both netflix and Hulu? I’ve seen dropped programs while watching or connection errors. It could be my connection, but considering I never had the problem before, I’m not too sure.
Also, PlayOn is on sale for 19.99 sometimes, so if anyone is considering it, wait for it. Happened 2x this year already.

I’ve been streaming Netflix content over my Tivo for several months now. We’ve had all kinds of problems. I don’t know whether to be hopeful that the PS3 version will work better, or pissed that they’re expanding the competition for bandwidth without fixing the platform they already have.

Issues:
1. Good luck streaming on Friday/Saturday nights. It won’t happen.
2. Even in off-peak times, the stream has to stop and catch up repeatedly, like 5-10 times while you’re trying to watch the show.
3. Occasionally when the stream runs out of content, it dumps you back the the main Tivo menu and loses your place in the show, so you get to navigate back to the show and then fast-forward through all of it again. This happened to me twice during one movie… once right near the end. Fun.
4. Lately a new issue has surfaced… the stream runs out and it crashes the Tivo. Everything just freezes, and it doesn’t respond to the remote. We have to spend 5 minutes rebooting it and starting all over. It’s been a known issue on the Tivo forums for a year or more, but they don’t seem to care I guess.